Drawing on the capability approach to human development and Bourdieuan reflexive sociology, this paper explores the interplay of teacher agency and professional practice. The paper names five facets of teacher agency. It shows that teachers with a strong sense of agency actively seek learning opportunities--inquisitive agency; think effortfully…

In Saudi Arabia, there is an urgent need for good quality professional development for special education teachers, many of whom find this work extremely challenging. Definitions of professionalism often involve quality of practice and the setting of standards, but it is clear that there are wide variations in the implementation of standards in…

This study aimed to provide an empirical typology of a diffused school change movement in South Korea, known as the Hyukshin School movement. This movement has been diffused by a combination of bottom-up practices and top-down measures, employing a communitarian whole-school change strategy that promotes collaborative learning, students' voices,…

Globally various barriers hinder English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners from developing English communicative competence. Concern in this regard is also raised in the context of Iran. Two themes that strongly emerge from the vast number of publications on the causes of poor EFL learning outcomes in Iran include the need for teacher…

In the early nineteenth century, the ideas of reform pedagogues gave rise to a didactic turn towards the visual that criticised an exclusive textual mediation of knowledge through books and lectures. To raise educational effectualness, teachers came under increasing pressure to incorporate high-profile media technologies into their lessons. Yet,…

The paper addresses the introduction of literacy schools for the lower ranks in the Russian army. The study primarily focuses on the teaching process, as well as on the used instructional techniques aimed to improve the education efficiency. The materials include army orders, as well as publications by Russian officers in the Russian Empire's…

Reflective practice has become a buzzword in teacher education as a mark of professional competence. Although the significance of reflective practice has long been acknowledged, a mutual agreement has still not been reached on how it should be defined or what processes should be initiated in teacher education programs. This article explores how…

Dewey's selective and moulding reception in Spain (1898-1936) was determined by the academic and professional "episteme" as "externationalisation mould". Dewey was translated by members of the bourgeois-reformist Institución Libre de Enseñanza mainly after 1925, as his thought didn't fit in their "episteme " and…

Pedagogical reforms in sub-Saharan Africa have often been unsuccessful, arguably because they fail to account for the social and cultural context of teachers' choices. Two studies in rural Tanzania examined the pedagogical decisions of teachers taking part in a programme of teacher professional development. Teachers reflected on their own…

Teacher self-efficacy beliefs have been a topic of great interest because of their potential to positively influence teacher actions and student outcomes. This qualitatively-driven mixed methods study sought to better understand how such beliefs develop amongst the complex interplay of individuals, actions, and environments. With the challenges of…

Teaching practice is a compulsory, legislated component of initial teacher education programmes in South Africa. During this experience, preservice teachers engage with their mentor teachers. By exploring first-year students' experiences with their mentor teachers during their first teaching practice, we argue that mentorship is a vital component…

This case study presents the efforts of three high school teachers to design and implement climate change lessons in alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Using three conceptual frameworks that organize the assumptions of the environment in the NGSS we examine how those assumptions influence teacher practice when teachers…

Despite extensive efforts to improve the quality of English language teaching, Saudi students in the local primary schools have a poor level of proficiency in English. Hence, this study aims to examine the barriers to effective English teaching from the perspectives of teachers in the primary schools in Burydah primary schools in Saudi Arabia. 50…

Purpose: This study aimed to explore "why and how" the teachers' personal funds of knowledge and identity are connected to their classroom beliefs, knowledge, and practices. Design/methodology/approach: The study lasted one academic year (October 2021 - July 2022). We used multiple data sources, including semi-structured individual…

In this case study, we explore pedagogical practices that could promote powerful knowledge in school history. We analyse teaching sessions conducted by two teachers. The cases were selected from an observation study that focused on historical literacy in Finnish schools. While Michael Young's ideas of powerful knowledge have gained considerable…